Method of ornamenting rubber mats



Oct. 13, 1931. P. M. wEAMr-:R 1,827,127

METHOD OF ORNAMENTING RUBBER HATS Filed Dec. '27, 1929 12 EEP Patented Oct. 13, 1931 PUNITED# sTATlsis PAUL M. WRAMER, OF GLADWYNE, PENNSYINANIA, AssIGNOR To LER RUBBER a TIRE CORPORATION, or OONSIIOIIOOKEN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION ORNEVW MORE i Y METHOD OF ORNAMENTING RUBBER MATS Application filed December 27,` 19,29. Serial NO..416,820.

p This invention relates to the manufacture of ornamented sponge-rubber articles 1ncluding sheets particularly adapted for mats mental effects and obtaining an'improved product. Heretofore, the methods of ornamentation employedv have involved a high i .10 cost of produc-tion and have given unsatisfactory results, so that rubber mats orna-Y mented in contrasting colors have not come into extensive use. By means of my invention these articles can be produced 1n a large` 1,15 variety of attractive designs and colors at, v l Y i assembling .of t-he mat sheets upon the niolda 10W cost of production.

Of the accompanying drawings, Fig.v 1 is a plan view illustrating the preferred mode of assembling the component parts of an.y A l finingthe ,sidesv of the molding cavity, -is

'rialzo ornamented sponge-rubber mat, together With associated fabric sheets, in accordance With my invention, omitting the vulcanizingf mold. Y

Fig. 2 isa partial vertical section on the 1.25 line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the vulcanizing The cloth Asheets llfand lthen formmold mold with the raw mat therein. Fig. B is a vertical section on a larger scale, illustrating a portion of the vulcanized product undergoing the final step in its manu- ,130 facture.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the finished mat.

vulcanizable soft-rubber composition con- L. 1.535 taining a gasifying ingredient and a pigmentto impart the desired color, and lay it on a supporting surface which may be a molding' sheet 11 of coarse or fine woven cloth intended to imp art a Woven-fabric impression to the lower side of the mat during the vul-- oanizing operation. If a smooth lower surface is desired, the foundation sheet may be,k vulcanized directly against a smooth metallicVV mold plate. v

Over the foundation sheet 10, Within ther latters margins, is laid a smaller sheetr12,v preferably of a heat-plastic nature such as vulcanizable, solid, soft-rubber composition' containing a pigment of a different color from thin, ornamental inlay. i This inlay is;

.faced on its 'upper side with a protective A ybacking sheet`13 such as smooth holland cloth, treatedvp'aper or other suitable nonsticliing inextensible material adapted to be strippedfrom the rubber sheet=f12. f The ini" klay sheet is outlined vto represent a'nysuitable ornamental shape, and theselshapes'may bedied r cut out of a larger sheet of the coly ored gum calendered on' or otherwise applied to the holland sheet. A e y @Over theassembledsheets 10, 12 and13 is lplaced a cloth molding sheet 14 which ma eL of coarse ,or fine Weave similar to or di fering'from .thelower cloth sheet 11. ,The

ving sheet l1 is preferably performed upon the lower plate'l oflafvulcanizingmold, after Which thel middle plate 16 of'saidmold, de-V Aplaced over saidfcloth sheet, ,around the [mat sheets,then the yuppery cloth .'sheetll islaid y over the middle plate and lover its mold ca vi- `ty, and finally the top mold plate 17 is apl plied, substantiallyv as illustrated in Fig. 2,

N. .surfaces: ofthe rubber composition during i f vulcanization.

l- 'rheyuieanizin'g testis then applied and causes thebody sheetl v1() to assumea sponged lconditiony and fill the mold. The lsheets l and 12 arevulc'aniz'ed and iirmly'united to eachother, the surfaces ofthe 'foundation' 'sheet are partly forcedv through the meshes of the rfabric sheetsl 11 #and r14,*forming thin skins of solid rubber bearing'a Toughened fabric impression at the `upper land lovverf l*surfaces ofthe sponge-rubber foundation sheet, V'and `at vthe 'same time the solid-rubber ornamenting sheet 12 becomes inlaid or eiii' fb'eddedin the top face of the foundation sheet slightly belovs7 the ysurrounding rough; v@ned surface.' The solid-rubber.I ornamentf'ingsheet l2,being applied to the inextensible backing sheet 13; and alsohaving a greater 'viscosity than the'aerated rubber ofthe ',founv that of said foundation sheet, to form a,,fda t ionlsheetyvhen th 'CWQKM'FQ softened/by auf the vulcanizing heat, will not flow substantially during vulcanization, but the sponge rubber will flow around and embed it and the inlaid ornament will have sharply-defined j edges in the finished product.

T he mold is then opened, the fabric sheets 11 and 111 are stripped off, and the final step consists in peeling or stripping off the holland sheet 13 from the face of the ornamental inlay sheet 12. This method can be more readily carried out with a sponge-rubber Jfoundation sheet than with one of solid rubber due to the requirement of a much smaller molding pressure in vulcanizing the sponge rubber, which avoids a strong adhesion of the holland to the vulcanized surface of the inlay sheet 12 and permits the holland to be stripped away after the vulcanizing operation without injury to the inlay. The result is a spongerubber sheet or mat attractively ornamented with an inlay of solid rubber of a contrasting color. An ornamental inlay might obviously be applied in like manner to the lower surface of the foundation sheet.

This article can be produced to sell at a reasonable price which widely extends its usefulness as compared with products produced by prior methods. The product is also of better qualit-y by reason, partly, of the sharplydefined edges of the inlay, and it will withstand severe usage, the edges of the inlay being protected against stripping olf by the surrounding sponge rubber, notwithstanding the highly yielding character of the latter. The fabric-impression surface imparts an attractive appearance and adds to the nonslipping qualities and the softness or yieldin character of the mat.

gIhe described steps and features could be varied within the scope of my invention and I do not wish to be limited except as required by the claims and the prior art.

I claim:

1. The method of making ornamentedv sponge-rubber sheets which comprises applying to a foundation sheet of sponge-rubber composition a smaller plastic ornamenting sheet backed by a removable protector, overlaying the two with a cloth molding sheet, vulcanizing the foundation sheet against said cloth sheet, thereby embedding the ornamenting sheet in the face of the foundation sheet, removing the molding sheet and then removing the protector.

2'. The method of makingy ornamented sponge-rubber sheets which comprisesl superimposing upon a foundation sheet of spongerubber composition a. smaller ornamenting sheet of solid-rubber composition having a backing of holland, overlaying the two with a cloth molding sheet, vulcanizingy the two togethery against said cloth sheet and embed-- ding the ornamenting sheet in the face of the` foundation sheet by the swelling and flow off the latter, removing the cloth sheet and then stripping 0E the holland sheet.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23 day of December, 1929.

PAUL M. WEAMER. 

